The Ukrainian Railways public joint-stock company (Ukrzaliznytsia) will invite tenders for supply of 2,465 freight gondola cars in October. The estimated value of the freight gondola cars is UAH 2.99 billion, the CFTS portal reports.

The Darnytsia railcar repair plant, which is a branch of Ukrzaliznytsia, will place the order for all the gondola cars. Bidding should take place within the first ten days of October. According to the tender documentation, the gondola cars are to be delivered by the end of 2017.

Previously, Ukrzaliznytsia planned to build 3,000 freight gondola cars at its own facilities: the Darnytsia, Stryi, and Paniutin railcar repair plants. However, it became known in May that this program would not be implemented. According to Mykhailo Murashko, the first deputy head of Ukrzaliznytsia’s railcar department, the plan to build 3,000 freight cars is being preserved for 2018.

Ukrzaliznytsia’s railcar manufacturing plants built 399 railcars from the beginning of the year to the beginning of June. Ukrzaliznytsia recently assumed ownership of 1,000 freight cars that previously belonged to a company linked to former minister of revenue and duties Oleksandr Klimenko.